Yes, there could be tension when Trump, who lands in Tokyo with his wife Melania on Saturday, May 25,Even if Trump delayed for 6 months a decision on adding tariffs against Japanese and EU auto imports, his declaration last week that US reliance on foreign vehicles poses a national security risk has irked giants like Toyota.
This will"demonstrate that the alliance between the United States has never been stronger," said a senior Trump administration official, who asked not to be identified.Even that historic moment is unlikely to top the spectacle of Trump's attendance Sunday at a Tokyo sumo wrestling tournament, held in the sport's holy of holies – the Ryogoku Kokugikan.
"It's a smart move that shows he knows something about foreign policy and that he actually has a friend," said Robert Guttman, who lectures on foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University.Trump has deliberately rocked the international boat since taking office in 2017 with his insistence on bilateral trade deals and aggressive use of tariffs – even against the oldest US allies – to protect his country's steel, aluminum and auto manufacturers.
And Trump will be back in Japan in just over 4 weeks for an end-of-June G20 summit in Osaka. He will also visit South Korea on that trip to discuss ongoing efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. As the trade war with China intensifies, the United States might even see an optimistic history lesson in Japan.